Beebe: Honor veterans throughout the yearLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Gov. Mike Beebe is urging Arkansans to find ways to honor those who have served in the nation's military throughout the year as the state is marking Veterans Day. Speaking at a Veterans Day ceremony in downtown Little Rock, Beebe said Tuesday the nation needs to make sure it recognizes veterans and keeps commitments to them and not just limit honoring them to one day during the year. Veterans of all ages gathered at th...

Former Arkansas state Sen. Ruth Whitaker diesCEDARVILLE, Ark. (AP) - Former Arkansas state Sen. Ruth Whitaker has died at age 77. Nelson-Berna Funeral Home in Fayetteville says Whitaker died Monday. A cause of death was not immediately released. Whitaker was a Republican from Cedarville who was first elected in 2001 to represent District 3, which includes Crawford and Franklin counties and a portion of Washington County. She served as Senate minority leader in 2011 and 2012. Whitaker was...

Arkansas inmate dies at maximum-security unitGRADY, Ark. (AP) - Arkansas prison officials say an inmate at a maximum-security unit has died of an apparent suicide. Arkansas Department of Correction spokeswoman Dina Tyler says 38-year-old Danny Cromeans was discovered dead in his cell Tuesday morning at the Varner Supermax prison. She says Cromeans apparently used a bedsheet to hang himself in his cell, and the death remains under investigation. Tyler says Cromeans had been housed in a ce...

Arkansas lawmakers OK prison rule shiftLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - An Arkansas legislative panel has approved several rule changes proposed by state correction officials in an effort to decrease prison overcrowding. On Monday, a rules and regulations subcommittee approved the changes that would permit a new vocational training program and increase access for the prison system's "boot camp" program. The proposed rules will go to the Arkansas Legislative Council for final consideration....

Aircraft interior maker expanding in Little RockLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - A company that specializes in aircraft interiors is expanding its operation in Little Rock. Pinnacle North Corporate Aircraft Interiors announced plans Tuesday to purchase a new facility that will increase its capacity from 14,000 square feet to 80,000 square feet. Officials said Pinnacle was able to acquire $1.75 million in financing by utilizing Arkansas' New Market Jobs Act. The act provides tax credits that are tie...

Judge rejects ex-Arkansas treasurer's guilty pleaA federal judge refused to let a former Arkansas treasurer plead guilty to a mail fraud charge Monday after she told him she didn't intend to divert campaign contributions to her personal use when she solicited them. It was the second time in 18 months that U.S. District Judge Leon Holmes rejected Martha Shoffner's plea of guilty to a federal crime. He said that for a mail fraud charge to stick, Shoffner had to admit she intended to misuse cam...

House members meeting at state CapitolArkansas House members are preparing for next year's session days after Republicans expanded their majorities in both chambers of the Legislature in the midterm election. The House was set to caucus Friday morning at the state Capitol, with new members drawing for seniority and for seat selection. The House will also break up among their respective district caucuses for standing committee selection. The meetings come after Tuesday's election w...

Body of man found near state park LITTLE ROCK, (AP) — The body of an Arkansas man has been found near Pinnacle Mountain State Park Arkansas State Police are investigating the death of 44-year-old James Thomas Lovelady of Little Rock. Two women walking along a highway in the area discovered the body around 7 a.m. Saturday and contacted authorities. State police investigators spent most of the morning at the scene in western Pulaski County collecting evidence. Lovelady was the s...

House members gather at state Capitol LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas House members gathered at the state Capitol for an organizational caucus three days after the general election that saw Republicans expand their legislative majorities. House members picked their seats and made committee selections on Friday, the Southwest Times Record reported Saturday. New members drew lots to determine seniority in advance of the legislative session that begins Jan. 12. Tuesday's election saw 64 ...

Highway officials seek more employees LITTLE ROCK (AP) — The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department is looking for a few good truck drivers. The agency is hosting a job fair in Little Rock on Nov. 14 that will focus on the district that includes Garland, Hot Spring, Lonoke, Prairie, Pulaski and Saline counties. Agency Director Scott Bennett says the agency is in the process of hiring about 200 new employees statewide but has a critical immediate need for truck driver...

GOP lawmaker says he'll challenge Senate president LITTLE ROCK (AP) — A Republican state senator said Friday he's challenging the election of the chamber's incoming leader, highlighting a rift within the GOP-led Arkansas Legislature after the party's massive gains in the midterm election. State Sen. Gary Stubblefield of Branch said he'll challenge fellow Republican Sen. Jonathan Dismang's election as Senate president for the 90th General Assembly, which begins in January. Dismang, R-Beebe, was...

State employees to receive pay raise LITTLE ROCK (AP) — More than 28,000 Arkansas state workers are set to receive a 1 percent pay raise that had been delayed. Department of Finance and Administration Director Richard Weiss told state agency directors in a memo Thursday that a cost-of-living adjustment will appear in employees' Nov. 28 paychecks. Weiss says in the memo that Gov. Mike Beebe asked finance officials to review the performance of the state's economy and revenue collec...

Plea hearing set for former treasurer LITTLE ROCK (AP) — A change-of-plea hearing has been scheduled for a former Arkansas state treasurer accused of misspending campaign funds on personal items. Martha Shoffner was convicted earlier this year on 14 bribery and extortion charges and awaits sentencing in that case. She was scheduled to go to trial in December on separate mail fraud charges accusing her of misspending $9,800 in campaign funds on clothing, cosmetics and other persona...

Health department sets flu shot clinics LITTLE ROCK (AP) — The Arkansas Department of Health has scheduled vaccine clinics for areas throughout the state as the flu season begins to ramp up. The flu shot clinics had been pushed back this fall because there was a delay in the shipment of the vaccines from manufacturers. The clinics are now set to take place in November and December at cities and towns throughout Arkansas. The drive-thru clinic at the Pope County Fairgrounds in Russel...

Owner of former Jonesboro bank building a mystery JONESBORO (AP) — The mayor of a northeastern Arkansas city says he still doesn't know who owns the former Citizens Bank building. Safety concerns about the building and a two-story structure attached to it have increased in recent weeks in Jonesboro. Officials removed exterior wall panels on the two-story structure because they feared the deteriorating pieces, which weigh several hundred pounds, could fall and harm pedestrians. Mayor Harold Pe...

Trial set for man charged in girl's death BENTONVILLE (AP) — A trial date has been set for next year for a northwest Arkansas man charged in the death of a 6-year-old girl. Zachary Holly had been scheduled to go to trial this week in the 2012 killing of Jersey Bridgeman, but the case was pushed back. Holly's trial is now set for May 11 in Bentonville. Holly has pleaded not guilty to capital murder and rape in the girl's death. Authorities have said Jersey died of asphyxia or lack of o...

Hutchinson: No Medicaid decision until January LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas Gov.-elect Asa Hutchinson says he won't make a decision about whether to expand the state's compromise Medicaid expansion until late January at the earliest. Hutchinson told reporters Thursday he's continuing to review the "private option" and how the state will pay for its eventual share of the cost before deciding whether to back its reauthorization. Under the private option, Arkansas is using federal funds to pur...

Entergy announcing new center in Little Rock LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Entergy is announcing construction of a new $23-million transmission operations center that will be one of two twin centers in the corporation's four-state service area. Groundbreaking on the project is set Monday in Little Rock. Before this year, Entergy had five such centers and one system operating center in cities throughout its service area. The company says it's consolidating those operations into two locations to impr...

Hutchinson hires Lamoureux as staff chief LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas Gov.-elect Asa Hutchinson is hiring the outgoing state Senate president as his new chief of staff. Hutchinson on Wednesday announced that he was hiring Sen. Michael Lamoureux of Russellville and that the Russellville lawmaker would also serve as transition director. Hutchinson, a Republican, defeated Democratic nominee Mike Ross in Tuesday's governor's race. Lamoureux has served as state Senate president since 2013 ...